Leica M-Monochrom

Photographer Jacob Aue Sobol captures an emotional trip through Russia in black and white

by Warren Rubin For the release of the newest Leica M-System camera, the black-and-white only M-Monochrom, Magnum photographer Jacob Aue Sobol journeyed across the Trans-Siberian Railway, stopping in Moscow, Ulan Bataar and Beijing with the camera and a 50 mm APO-Summicron-M lens. The Leica M-Monochrom is the first 35mm-format commercial digital camera built exclusively for black-and-white photography. With a design based on the M9 and …

Studio Allt

Slovakian designers simply making all that they like

by Adam Štěch Based in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, the young designers behind the Allt studio produce simple-yet-poetic conceptual furniture and lighting, aiming to create a personal world of friendly products with strong backstories. The Allt studio—whose name offers a simple abbreviation of their tagline, “all that we like to do”—was established in 2011 by Peter Simonik and Elena Bolceková. Simonik received his degree …

Desirée Hammen

Intuitive couture embroidery

by Matilde Angelucci Desirée Hammen is a Dutch artist specializing in haute couture embroidery. In all her work she pursues the beauty of imperfection, creating unusual mash-ups for a truly surreal effect. As a fashion designer, Hammen combines traditional techniques with a DIY spirit to overcome any codified style, her handmade embroidered cardigans translating more as wearable art—totally unique art pieces that seem to transcend …